Isao Moto
Background Isao was born to a pair of samurai roughly a decade prior to the 4th Shinobi world war. He was always a serious child, preferring to train to become the best samurai he could instead of playing like the other children did. Despite this he still made a few friends here and there. At the age of 7 he was apprenticed to one of Mifune's eldest, and most unscrupulous, students. Isao was regularly given packages to deliver to various contacts of his master. However during one of his deliveries, the contact became unruly. Though Isao successfully defended himself, his left eye was damaged in the process. He successfully managed to sneak back into his master's chamber where it was replaced by the eye of recently deceased samurai with a similar eye color. While the eyes weren't the exact same color they were close enough to pass it off as his natural eye. Isao participated in the 4th war in a non-combatant manner. While he was on the battlefield he never once saw combat. He was instead assigned to bring the bodies of dead and injured ninja back to the medical corp. While he was at this he also ransacked the corpses looking for valuable intelligence and scrolls. After the war, Tsunade retired after allowing Naruto to take the Kageship. However after the ceremony where she relinquished the title of Hokage, a messenger met her. He was from the samurai in the Land of Iron. They asked her if she would travel to the land of iron to teach them medical ninjutsu as well as to help heal those samurai who had yet to recover as well as teach them how to better counter stronger ninja. Tsunade, not willing to waste her last few years after wallowing for decades in self pity, agreed. She traveled to the Land of Iron and quickly got to work. Isao was one of those she looked at. She recognized the fact that his eye was a transplant, and asked Mifune about him, He told her the story of how his eye had gotten injured as he had found out about his former student's dealings and that he had taken him upon himself to train the boy. Mifune asked her to help him gain strength in a way that would not be a shortcut like his eye he had gained without any real effort would be. He explained that as a student he trained for hours upon hours each day, all so he could be a great samurai like his late parents were. Tsunade watched him the next day as her medical class was practicing their newfound mystical palm technique. She was reminded of a certain other hard headed young man whose life she had changed, Rock Lee. The next day she agreed to help teach the boy. Under her tutelage he learned the mystical palm and various other medical ninjutsus, culminating with him storing chakra for several years to acquire the yin seal and learning her regeneration techniques. However the stipulation that he must never use those techniques unless his comrade's lives depended on it was placed on the usage of creation rebirth and the strength of a hundred seal. The seal was designed to be his ultimate shield in protecting his comrades in honor of the hundreds if not thousands of samurai who had lost their lives during the 4th war. In addition, she also taught him how to open the first two gates properly. This occurred after he managed to accidentally open one after almost falling off the mountain during one particularly intensive training exercise. This move also carried the stipulation that it must only be used when one absolutely had to be destroyed in order to save the world. This was in honor of all the ninja who gave their lives along side of them. His life wasn't worth any less as she had seen thousands of ninja and samurai die too young during the 4th war. After all of Tsunade's regeneration took its toll and she passed away, Isao spent the next decade learning how to open 5 more of the gates, leaving the total number of gates he could open at 7. During this same period, the Oda Genji split off and took most of the samurai with it. Upon Mifune's request Isao stayed in the force of samurai that was still members of the Land of Iron. The members who had stayed left 3 wolf mountain except for the few who were left behind to maintain an "official" presence there and moved into the capital of the Iron. After another 10 years of training, Isao managed to learn to open the 8th gate as well as trained his body to the point where the lesser gates didn't affect him as much. While Isao was at the age of 33, 23 years after the end of the 4th Shinobi World War, the current leader of the remaining Land of Iron Samurai's health was failing. He was well into his 60s and didn't have much longer. He held trials to determine the strongest samurai to replace him. After defeating 127 different contestants during the course of the trials Isao won. He had achieved this feat in a baffling way. During the entirety of the fight he had not once drawn his blade, fighting numerous skilled opponents with nothing but his bare hands. Even with such a massive handicap, he had only once been forced to use even the first gate, and even that was only during the final match against the strongest competitor besides himself. Despite his self imposed handicap Isao ended up becoming the next leader of the Iron Samurai, a position he has held for the last 7 years... Appearance Isao has a rather severe look, with piercing eyes and a oppressing demeanor. This carries across his entire body, which is lean and fit from decades of extreme physical training. The way he holds himself speaks of a lifetime of discipline, as if he was an iron wall standing in your path. In terms of physical aspects alone, Isao is a solidly built, albeit not imposing, man. Sitting at an average height and weight, he normally could be ignored in a crowd. Even his blond hair which is unusual in its own right. His brown eyes are far more common, though staring into their sharp depths is a quick lesson in intimidation. Even though Isao is a samurai, he does not wear the traditional clothing of one. He prefers a tight fitting mesh armor underneath a Black Gi. A Gi is the traditional training outfit used in Karate and a large number of other eastern martial arts. This is his main combat outfit, as it allows full range of movement while still retaining a respectful visage. Over this he wears a travelling Yukata under a travelling robe. For shoes he wears a closed toe version of the normal shinobi shoe designed for travelling. This outfit allows him to essentially travel anywhere without issue from the elements. Isao carries a large silver great sword on his back. This blade is called Peacekeeper and contains a blunted edge. While it may be a simple sword, its construction is extremely sturdy. Personality Isao's personality can be summed up in a single word. Discipline. He is known by the Land of Iron Samurai as being extremely strict, and this mind set is part of the reason he is allowed to come and go as he pleases. He is a fair leader, however he sets high standards for his men. to be continued. Working section: I Ching Hexagram 60 Articulation (will remove most of this once i get everything ordered out as a proper personality section. It will just exist as a more character oriented format.) THE JUDGMENT LIMITATION. Success. Galling limitation must not be persevered in. Limitations are troublesome, but they are effective. If we live economically in normal times, we are prepared for times of want. To be sparing saves us from humiliation. Limitations are also indispensable in the regulation of world conditions. In nature there are fixed limits for summer and winter, day and night, and these limits give the year its meaning. In the same way, economy, by setting fixed limits upon expenditures, acts to preserve property and prevent injury to the people. But in limitation we must observe due measure. If a man should seek to impose galling limitations upon his own nature, it would be injurious. And if he should go too far in imposing limitations on others, they would rebel. Therefore it is necessary to set limits even upon limitation. THE IMAGE Water over lake: the image of LIMITATION. Thus the superior man Creates number and measure, And examines the nature of virtue and correct conduct. A lake is something limited. Water is inexhaustible. A lake can contain only a definite amount of the infinite quantity of water; this is its peculiarity. In human life too the individual achieves significance through discrimination and the setting of limits. Therefore what concerns us here is the problem of clearly defining these discriminations, which are, so to speak, the backbone of morality. Unlimited possibilities are not suited to man; if they existed, his life would only dissolve in the boundless. To become strong, a man's life needs the limitations ordained by duty and voluntarily accepted. The individual attains significance as a free spirit only by surrounding himself with these limitations and by determining for himself what his duty is. Moving Line Interpretations Line 1 Before initiating action, the wise first evaluate their ability to carry out the task. If the limitations are overwhelming, no action is taken. But inaction is also a kind of action, because the passage of time often brings strength to what is weak, and adds energy to what has remained still. Maintain a steady purpose, but act only when the time is ripe. In this way, limitations can serve your true interests. Only with the utmost discretion can anything be carried through to fruition at this time. Line 2 When the waters of a lake rise above the dam, the water spills over without hesitation. When limits in a particular situation have suddenly been overcome, nervous hesitancy to act is bound to be a mistake. Seize the moment! Line 3 To live a life of extravagant luxury before having contributed to society; to act willfully and selfishly in violation of reasonable rules and customs; to defy social conventions for the thrill of doing so -- these are all excesses which can lead to serious and unfavorable consequences. Learn to take initiative and pleasure inside the bounds of what is fair and proper. Line 4 The measure by which to evaluate self-imposed limitations is this: do they save and restore energy, or do they dissipate it? A diet that requires such constant vigilance and self-struggle to maintain that it saps not only physical energy but personal resolve, will not achieve its intended purpose of restoring youth and vigor. Vain struggles with artificial limitations are best redirected quickly, so that the true goal is kept in sight. Easy does it. Line 5 Do not ask others to wear a yoke you yourself would be unwilling to carry. Impose no rules you yourself could not live by. This is especially true, if you are in a position of leadership. If you are able to impose limits on others that truly fit the circumstance, and do not overly limit their freedom, greater success is possible. Line 6 Tyranny never endures, because the source of power is undermined. Ruthless severity in the administration of power -- the imposing of strict limits on others' freedom -- can never be a consistent strategy, for by its very consistency a greater counter force is encouraged to grow. Severity can be imposed in specific circumstances, when the situation calls for it, but it must be specific in intent and limited in duration to be successful. In the skillful exercise of leadership, strong actions are balanced by mild and compassionate ones to achieve balance. A certain strictness may be called for, however, to protect oneself from temptation, guilt or regret -- or to save that which is most valuable. Natural Attributes Unmeasurable Strength Isao has been steadily training his strength for nearly thirty years. Like all samurai children, he underwent severe physical training for year after year to increase his physical traits to that worth of a warrior of the line. First this started with simple running and other cardiovascular exercises, before they started pumping iron literally and metaphorically. The art of the samurai required extreme strength, and the training emphasized as such. In addition to the normal strength training, he regularly wore weighted training gear, which quickly surpassed several hundred pounds of weighting. By the time of the 4th War, he was capable of lifting a fully grown bovine over his head and walk with it. After undertaking training with Tsunade, his physical training only intensified. Around this time, he started an extremely simple training designed to enhance the force behind his punches. Isao spent two hours every day slapping a dish of water, repeatedly. Doing this strengthened all of the core muscles in the arm, allowing a quicker and more smooth release of energy from his arm. Combined with the precise requirements of the medical ninjutsu he was using and his knowledge of the human body, Isao became capable of throwing the most powerful set of punches his physical strength could produce. After he gained the usage of the 8 gates, his even more excessive training to master its physical enhancing abilities. In order to train in a way that would produce meaningful effects at this level, he turned to the land of iron's mining industry. He was put to task driving new shafts into the mountains. Unlike most workers, he did not use tools to do so. He punched the rock, and the rock gave way. Using his extreme strength he has hollowed out mountains with nothing but a series of punches and kicks. He has hollowed out hundreds if not thousands of miles of tunnels with nothing but taijutsu, and is getting faster all the time. At max output almost no one can hope to match him in terms of raw strength, let alone exceed him, even before he unleashes the gates. Abilities Medical Ninjutsu Eight Gates Isao is capable of opening all eight of the Eight gates. He can open up to 5 without significant damage, but 6 and up will still harm his body. His abilities per gate are as follows. First Gate: Gate of Opening Moves Dawn Roc: A simple thrust with the hand shaped like a spear using all four fingers. Creates a sharp air cannon in the shape of the mystical Roc that pierces through the opponent. It is capable of penetrating through a single rashomon. Dawn Golden Eagle: A three finger version of the above technique. This move has better penetration for slightly less power. Dawn Red Hawk: a two finger version of the Dawn Roc. This move increases penetration even further. Is capable of penetrating 2 rashomons. Dawn Peregrine: A one finger version of the Dawn Roc. This is the most dangerous move of the set. Its overall destructive power and penetration goes up beyond the Roc and Redhawk respectively, but it damages the user's hand in the process. Reverse Lotus: See canon Second Gate: Gate of Healing Moves Breakfast Wovles: A rapid series of punches that flow from the entire body while the hands are in the shape of claws. Using this Technique Isao creates a pack of air cannon wolves that crash into the opponents from multiple angles as if they were working togethr to take down their prey. This move is essentially a rapid firing mini Daytime tiger. These wolves can not penetrate a rashomon, but will significantly damage it. Breakfast Gorilla: A double Jackhammer punch that eminate from the hips with a rotation of the arms thrown in, this move has extreme destructve potential due to the rotation of the arms creating a sort of a twister effect. Being caught by one hit is dangerous, being hit by both will cause the opposite rotating cannons to tear an opponent to shreds. Third Gate: Gate of Life Moves Morning Peacock: See canon Morning Pheonix: An extremely fast uppercut to knock an opponent into the air followed by a spinning upwards kick. This kick launches an intense air cannon that ignites under the friction of the kick. The air blast looks like a pheonix taking flight covered in a coat of flame directly into the opponent. This flame will generally pierce all the way through an opponent, killing them instantly. Morning Sparrow: Isao shoulder rushes an opponent before planting a foot and pivoting on it. His fingers are in a formation not too unsimilar to the 8 trigrams series. He then rapidly strikes his opponents with his hands, causing numerous burning sparrows to explode out of the target's back after burning through the torso. These sparrows leave in a variety of arcs resembling a host of sparrows taking flight. This allows him to hit an opponent through a shield, or simply to hit multiple opponents with a single attack. This move was based on him seeing an 8 trigrams move during the 4th war. Fourth Gate: Gate of Pain Moves Noon Crocodile: Isao dashes to the side of the opponent at close range and slams his arms together, creating a crushing burst of wind from both sides, resembling a crocodile snapping its jaw. Noon Python: This move is a series of Lariats fired off in rapid speed around the opponent. Isao creates a series of "Afterimages" of himself around the target. All of these images of him proceed to lariat the opponent, constricting their body like a python, before eventually cutting them to pieces. Noon Chameleon Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit Moves Daytime Tiger: See canon Daytime Panther: Isao starts this move off with several quick punches to the ground before releasing a jackhammer punch towards his opponent, the above ground punches will race towards the target like a pair of panthers chasing their prey. Shortly before impact, several more will come out of the ground grabbing onto and slicing into the opponent as the above ground punches find their mark. Daytime Cheetah: Essentially a version of daytime tiger that trades power for speed, this move is a clawed punch that reaches most opponents before they could hope to react. it makes a great set up for daytime tiger. Sixth Gate: Gate of View Afternoon Liger A move that uses the multiple speed clones Isao gains after opening each of the gates. First two of the clones dash in low and uppercut the opponent with a pair of daytime tigers level punches, this is followed by the remaining four clones pincering the opponent from the side in mid air with massive punches, smashing their ribs to pieces in the process. Then the last Isao takes both hands and slams them back towards the ground. Finally, to end the move four clones appear under the target with a quadruple burning upstroke kick while the 2 clones do spinning ignited heel drops and the last Isao does a burning spear directly between the shoulder blades, each creating a burning section of a liger's head. Afternoon Unicorn Afternoon Pegasus Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder Evening Elephant: See canon Evening Rhino: Evening Hippo: Eighth Gate: Gate of Death Midnight Dragon: Isao, after releasing the eigth gate, releases a powerful kick that produces a blade of extremely high pressure air at an opponent, he quickly does this 4 more times so they all reach the target at roughly the same time to represent the talons of a dragon. He then appears above the opponent before releasing a kick that shoots a spear of air in the form of a dragon that easily reaches hypersonic velocities as the previous blades of air reaches the opponent. The combination of all 6 of these cuts and stabs leaves no body behind, as dragons eat their prey whole. Each one of these blades is capable of penetrating five entire rashomons, and the spear is capable of penetrating ten of them. At this level of power it is doubtful that any opponent can survive the damage. Taijutsu Empty Fist Kenjutsu Tools Isao has a limited set of tools beyond his own body. These consist of a full medical kit including everything from bandages to surgical equipment, as well as 2 swords and a trio of seals on his body. To round this off he has several tags with specific effects, with two being tags designed to seal a person, and the rest being a tag that has become commonly issued to the samurai in the fact that it massively strengthens the veil between dimensions, weakening if not eliminating the use of space time jutsu around the area it is placed. The first is simply known as The Peacekeeper. He generally keeps this sword on his back, but will usually set it on the ground for fights, as it is rare for him to need it. It is a large blade, nearly as long as Isao is tall. However it does not have a cutting edge, as with his monstrous strength it simply isn't necessary, as every blow would be mortal if he used a proper blade. Despite this broken bones are common with the average hit and he is entirely capable of slicing through objects even with the blunted blade. It has several unique properties as well. The biggest one is a special material unique to the land of iron that was forged into the blade. This material has the property of strengthening the veil on top of it. This essentially allows one to block moves like kamui as one can not open a portal directly on top of it. Another property of this blade that is accomplished by multiple layers of fuinjutsu acting upon the materials of the blade disallows one to directly affect it with chakra. This means that things such as chakra threads could not attach to it, nor could something like dust release dissolve it. However a move like the rasengan could affect it, as the chakra is not directly affecting the blade itself. His other sword is kept sealed over his heart. It is known simply as Apocalypse. This sword was crafted by a blacksmith centuries ago, and is considered one of the Land of Iron's greatest treasures. It is not made out of any normal metal. Legend states that this blade's metal fell from the sky a millennium ago. A samurai managed to cut the rock on its way down from the heaven to save a village. He succeeded, but his blade was broken in the process. A local blacksmith thanked him by forging him a new blade, made from the shards of his old blade and the stone he had cut with it. This blade, shaded in a resplendent blue and gold, had an unusual property. By channeling his strength into his blade, his opponent would be drawn towards the edge, impaling themselves. Awestruck, the samurai knew he was unworthy of wielding such a masterpiece. He gave the blade as a gift to the lord of the land, and took up a simple sword once again. The blade has never been wielded since then when it was given to Isao as a reward for winning the leadership of the Iron Samurai with naught but his bare hands. He wields this treasure but rarely, as he has yet to run into anyone worthy enough to see its power. Its drawing is symbolic in its own right, as it means that Isao has dedicated his life as need be in order to see you slain. If he draws the blade, one must literally be ready to face the apocalypse. His last two seals consist of a seal that places a canopy barrier technique set at a 3 foot radius around his body. This allows him to react to anything that invades the area right around him without necessarily having to see it. This seal is placed on his stomach. The other one is on his back, and is a summoning contract. There is a pair of seals in the daimyo's throne room that allow one to summon him to the room at any time. This means he does not have to stay at the land of iron, as he can be summoned back at the first sign of trouble. He regularly uses the freedom this provides him to wander the world, as when he is summoned back he simply picks a new direction and starts walking. He is entirely capable of dispelling this seal, however if he does so it means he is in a fight that he does not want to be summoned out of. He is willing to shirk his duties to see his opponent's end. Stats Trivia Quotes